CF3 --we're almost at 100!

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The Collectors' Forum Pilot's Chronograph (CF3) project is progressing nicely. Shortly those who have signed up will be receiving an e-mail regarding specific purchase procedures. I also hear that the first prototype of the new dial --with the single date window and antimagnetic properties-- will arrive next week. Production is going forward as planned, and it's anticipated that delivery will be late Summer as scheduled.

If you haven't already signed up, I would urge you to do so. As many know, I believe this is a very special watch --one of the best in-house chronograph movements in a true flight watch, being antimagnetic and with the unique single date window for a contemporary model. As such it represents history, it represents IWC's pilot watch tradition and it represents this forum. It's individually numbered and can be personally engraved.

To encourage anyone "on the fence" to commit now, I'll make a deal: until we reach 100, I'll try to give you a number of your choice. Realize that many "good" numbers have already been taken --that includes all single digit numbers, and almost anything with an "8" in it (but --hint-- as of today 38, 48, 58, 78 and 108 are available).

Jarrod --you did get your requested number 22. I haven't yet figured out a simple way to tell people --I don't want to alienate people who had to be reassigned, and it can be a really complex task when people come back with alternatives. When I couldn't give a requested number, I tried to get the person a similar number, but about 75% of requests were available.

Gullik --8 is considered a lucky or auspicious number in Chinese culture, much like 7 is in other cultures. Wikipedia explains it well:

"The word for "eight" (八 Pinyin: bā) sounds similar to the word which means "prosper" or "wealth" (發 – short for "發財", Pinyin: fā). In regional dialects the words for "eight" and "fortune" are also similar, e.g., Cantonese "baat3" and "faat3".

"There is also a visual resemblance between two digits, "88", and 囍, the "shuāng xĭ" ("double joy"), a popular decorative design composed of two stylized characters 喜 ("xĭ" meaning "joy" or "happiness").

"The number 8 is viewed as such an auspicious number that even being assigned a number with several eights is considered very lucky."

Wikipedia then gives a large number of interesting examples --flights designated as 888, menu items, having 88 floors in Petronas Towers in KL, etc.